You may be familiar with the saying, “You are what you eat.” But did you know that your food choices can alter your brain and, in turn, impact your behaviour? This connection becomes particularly important for individuals dealing with conditions like bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and other mania or aggression-related behaviours. How can we know if certain foods are beneficial or harmful? And why is it so crucial to understand food labels in today’s world?
To help us navigate these questions, I spoke with Melanie Peers, a certified nutritionist and owner of Healthy Body Nutrition. Melanie empowers her clients to make intuitive food choices with confidence, helping them and their loved ones achieve whole-body health. Here’s what she had to say about the profound impact food can have on behaviour.
Discovering How Food Can Impact Behaviour
Like many mothers, Melanie followed the government’s nutritional guidelines when feeding her young children. However, when her second baby was born, she faced a series of unexpected challenges. Her baby suffered from severe reflux, slept only for short periods, vomited frequently, and had eczema.
After eight difficult months, Melanie was connected with a pediatrician who suggested that food intolerances could be causing these issues. Since Melanie was breastfeeding, she removed common allergens like gluten, dairy, soy, and nuts from her diet. Through careful testing, she discovered that food intolerances were indeed at the root of her child’s symptoms.
Food Can Impact Behaviour: If you suspect that you have gluten intolerance, it is best to avoid food that contains grains such as wheat, barley, and rye.
This experience sparked Melanie’s journey into understanding food allergies and intolerances. She began reading every food label and identifying hidden allergens, ultimately inspiring her to learn more about nutrition.
The Journey to Becoming a Nutritionist
Today, the term “nutritionist” can be used by almost anyone, which is why Melanie emphasises the importance of proper qualifications. “It’s an unregulated title,” she explains. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist after taking a short course or weekend training. To ensure she had the necessary knowledge, Melanie pursued a Bachelor’s degree through a natural therapies college, which opened her eyes to the profound effects of diet on various health conditions.
Melanie chose to work specifically with children after observing the struggles they faced, such as eczema and concentration difficulties. She noticed the impact of diet on behavioural conditions like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and anxiety, particularly in the processed foods available in schools and daycares. This realization fueled her passion for educating families about the link between diet and behaviour.
The Challenges of Government Guidelines
Melanie believes that some government dietary guidelines are not always ideal. She refers to the years of emphasis on grains and processed foods – high inflammatory foods – in schools. She has had productive conversations with cooks at daycare centres about healthy eating. However, she acknowledges that pushing for larger changes in primary schools and canteens can be a daunting task.
Instead, Melanie focuses on educating individuals and families on how to work within existing frameworks to find the healthiest food options. By arming parents with knowledge, she believes they can make better choices for their children’s long-term health.
Identifying Symptoms and Making Changes
When parents suspect that diet may be affecting their child’s behaviour, Melanie advises start with food additives. She explains that while additives are generally deemed “safe,” they can have significant effects on behaviour, focus, irritability, and skin conditions. For instance, growing pains, tummy aches, and even aggression can sometimes be traced back to an overload of additives in the diet.
Melanie emphasises that common symptoms do not necessarily equate to what is normal for a child. Many processed foods today contain far more additives than when we were children. These ingredients are often included simply to make products taste better and last longer on shelves.
Food Can Impact Behaviour: Companies have found sneaky ways to hide MSG in their food labels. Can you outsmart them?
The Hidden Dangers of MSG and Additives
One of the most problematic additives Melanie discusses is monosodium glutamate (MSG). This is present in many foods like flavoured noodles, chips, and even barbecue chicken. MSG can have a significant impact on brain chemistry. It interferes with hunger cues and contributes to behavioural issues such as irritability, aggression, and hyperactivity.
Melanie notes that the cumulative effect of these additives is not well studied. While each additive may be considered “safe” on an individual basis, their combined presence in our daily diet can be concerning, particularly for children who are smaller and more vulnerable.
Steps for Parents to Improve Their Child’s Diet
For parents feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of changing their child’s diet, Melanie recommends taking small steps. Start by identifying foods with added MSG or artificial flavourings and replacing them with more natural options. She suggests shifting towards whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, and animal or vegetarian proteins. Cooking from scratch and using herbs, spices, and salt for flavour can help reduce the intake of processed foods.
Melanie also provides resources to make this transition easier, including a simple swaps eBook that offers 15 supermarket products to replace commonly consumed processed foods. Additionally, she advises parents to remain vigilant. That is because food manufacturers may change their product formulas to include additives over time.
Finding the Right Support
Melanie offers one-on-one consultations online. This format allows families to discuss their concerns from the comfort of their own homes. Need to ask questions and access free tips on how to improve your family’s nutrition? Join her Facebook group, “Food Freedom for Families.”
In her consultations, Melanie focuses on balancing the body’s biochemistry through nutrient-rich foods. Every chemical reaction in our body requires substrates, and without the right nutrients, our brains cannot function optimally.
The Power of Food Education
Melanie is a degree-qualified nutritionist, wife, mother and lover of quality nutritious food. Her passion lies in helping others navigate through the confusing world of how and what to eat.
Melanie is passionate about spreading awareness of how food impacts behaviour. She points out that many people believe they are eating healthily because of marketing tactics that can be misleading. Her mission is to empower families with the knowledge they need to navigate the complexities of nutrition in today’s world.
In conclusion, Melanie Peers’ insights reveal the significant impact that food can have on our behaviour, particularly in children. By learning to identify food additives, making small dietary changes, and choosing whole foods over processed options, families can take proactive steps toward better health and well-being.
If you’re interested in learning more, connect with Melanie through her free Facebook group, “Food Freedom for Families,” or explore her website www.healthybodynutrition.com.au for resources on how to start your journey toward a healthier, happier life.
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